Picking Dandelions
by M.L.Caro
Summary: Just a little oneshot. Hope you enjoy! Can't give much information, other than it is a PeetaXKatniss Fanfic. I love Gale Hawthorne, so don't go crazy on me on how Gale is awesome, I know. Check out Trapped in the Woods if you don't believe me.


**Author's Note: This is just a little one-shot for all the Peeta lovers out there. Enjoy! I know it's short, I just wrote it down really quickly. ^_^ Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or it's characters!**

Picking Dandelions

Peeta was shocked when he caught Katniss's eyes trained on him. Her gaze quickly flitted away once she saw that she was caught looking at him. Peeta didn't lift his gaze though, he stayed looking at Katniss long enough to see a blush creep onto her cheeks. The bell rung, and she used her hunter's tread to quickly rush down the hall.

Peeta smiled, 'Katniss Everdeen was looking at me,' he thought to himself. 'She was blushing, because of me.' He walked down the head, smiling to himself. 'She finally noticed me.'

When he reached class, he took the chastisement that came with being tardy. He didn't care about that kind of thing. No one really did. He started to head to his seat, but he found it taken by someone that he didn't really care for. He looked around intently for a different desk, but the only one was in front of Katniss Everdeen, in the back of the classroom. Without a second thought, he started to walk down the aisle and to the open seat.

He set down his things, and Katniss's head snapped up. She looked into his eyes, and her stormy orbs contained fear. Fear? Why would Katniss, the girl that broke the law daily, be afraid of Peeta, the baker's son? Katniss, looked back down quickly, and a crimson shade graced her cheeks, and soon her whole face.

Peeta sat down confused now instead of pleased. Why was she blushing, and why is she scared of me? The teacher starting a lecture pulls him out of his thoughts, and into the real world.

Class was boring beyond belief. The same thing over and over again, everyday, all day. Peeta was so glad when school was finally over.

During the whole school day, Peeta had glanced back at Katniss at least five or six times. Each time, Katniss had her head burried in her arms, covering her face. Probably sleeping. She slept a lot in class, and she never got punished for it. She was so cute.

Now as the classroom started to clear, Peeta watched as Katniss took her time to get up from her seat. She started to walk out, and bumped right into Peeta. She looks up into the face of the person she bumped into and her eyes grow wide.

"Sorry, did I-" Peeta begins, but Katniss is already running out of the room.

"Prim! Prim!" Peeta hears her calling as she continues to run to the pick-up area.

Of course she would be worried about her sister, since she took so long in leaving the classroom. Peeta jogged out the door, with his bags in hand. He was going to make sure that Prim was okay too. Just for her.

He finally got to the pick-up area, and he saw Katniss and Prim already walking away from the building. He watched and listened as he heard Katniss apologize for being late multiple times. They finally disappear from sight, and Peeta begins his walk home.

The scent of the bakery hits Peeta's nose once he reaches the edge of Town. He makes his way to the stone building pumping out smoke through a chimney. As he steps in, he finds that place warm compared to the outside spring weather. A windy and sunny mix.

"Hey dad," he greets, as he spots his father taking something from the oven. Sourdough bread.

"Son," his father replies, setting the loaf of tangy bread to cool on a rack. He comes over, and brings Peeta into a hug, but lets go almost as quick. His father loved Peeta, but he sometimes didn't know how to show it.

Peeta's brothers call to him from the other room, but he chooses to ignore them. They were always teasing him and treating him like dirt, just like their mother. Speaking of wich, were was that lady?

"Where's mom?" Peeta asked his father. The baker shrugged. "I think she was meeting with her friends."

Peeta didn't stay long after that. The bakery wasn't very busy, so he decided to go out to the meadow near the Seam houses, and take a walk, away from all of the hustling and bustling of the town folk.

Once Peeta set out, it didn't take long to reach his favorite spot in the meadow. The patch of dandelions that was shrouded a bit by a thin veil of trees. He leaned against the tree near the beginning of the dandelion patch, and sighed. Today Katniss Everdeen finally noticed him for once, but was that a good thing? She looked scared when she glanced at him. Did he frighten her somehow?

Peeta didn't keep track of how long he stayed in the meadow, but when he finally opened his eyes after lingering on Katniss's image in his mind, he saw that the sun had lowered considerably.

He got up, and brushed himself off, when he finally noticed someone farther in the dandelion field with a goat. A goat? He started walking towards the person, and he finally realized it as Katniss, with her sister Prim's goat, Lady. Katniss was turned around, so she didn't even realize someone coming towards her.

She crouched down, but Peeta couldn't tell what she was doing. He edged closer to her, and then he was only so far away.

"Who's there?" Katniss asked, not moving an inch. She didn't shift or anything as Peeta closed the distance between them, and came to stand right next to her.

"It's me. Peeta," Peeta said to her. She didn't look up. "How's it going Katniss?" No reply. "What you have there?" Katniss still didn't move. "You know that I can see you right?" Peeta asked with a small laugh. Katniss finally glanced up, revealing that she had just plucked a dandelion from the earth rich with them.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I was just leaving," Katniss says while getting up. She starts to walk away with the goat's rope and her dandelion still stuck in her hand. Peeta moves in front of her.

"No, I was actually hoping I might be able to talk to you."

"Um… I don't feel comfortable with that," Katniss replies looking away from the boy in front of her.

"Please Katniss, just a two minutes. Please?" Peeta asks sticking out his lower lip. Katniss sighs, and nods.

"Okay." Silence.

"So," Peeta trails off. "-do you like dandelions?" He gestures to the one in her hand.

"I guess."

"Why?"

"That is none of your business." Katniss is looking at her feet.

"Come on, please tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?" With every question, their voices seem to get louder.

"Because."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Katniss finally bursts out. "Then I'll just embarrass myself." He voice drops down to a whisper.

"How can it be embarrassing?" Peeta asks confused.

"Because," Katniss pauses. "Then you would know that they remind me of you, and that I like you."

Peeta goes silent. Katniss turns away, and throws her dandelion on the ground.

"See. I was right." She begins to walk away with the goat, as fast as she can. Peeta is stunned at the short answer he received, and just stand there. She liked him? Finally he gains composure, and starts to run after her. She is already out of the meadow…

"Katniss! Wait!" he shouts as he runs to her. She doesn't stop walking, but she isn't running… "Wait!" he says, as he steps in front of her. Running down her face are tears that leave stains. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I just embarrassed myself in front of you," she says, crying more. Peeta pulls her in for a hug.

"You didn't embarrass yourself. Why would you think that?"

"Because you didn't say you like me back," she replies, trying to pull herself away from Peeta and his stong arms.

"But I do like you!" he says, making her meet his eyes. "I do." He doesn't see her reaction, because in a flash, they are skaring a kiss. So sweet, and warm.

"I pick dandelions for you," Katniss explains softly, after she pulls away from the kiss. She describes how one dandelion, because of Peeta and his great deed five years earlier had given her hope when she had lost all of her own. She explained how many times she took Lady grazing instead of Prim because, she wanted to see the flowers that gave her hope.

"I like dandelions," Peeta said once Katniss had stopped talking. Katniss smiled.

"Me too." Then she shared one more kiss with him.


End file.
